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The recent electoral victories of Mark Kirk (from left), Scott Brown and Bob McDonnell suggest that it may not be hard for the GOP to bridge the ideological divide between conservatives and moderates.
AP photo composite by POLITICO

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POLITICO 44

The widely anticipated civil war within the Republican Party is off to a decidedly dull start.

Defying predictions from last year, early evidence suggests that party leaders and even most grass-roots activists are more interested in winning elections than in ideological bloodletting.

A spate of recent developments points to two conclusions about the modern Republican Party that were in doubt as recently as a few months ago.

The first is that for all the talk about tea party insurgents and fulminating radio and cable commentators taking over, the GOP remains above all an establishment party.

GOP leaders easily swatted down a proposed “purity test” for candidates at last week’s Republican National Committee meeting — an indication that party officials are no more willing to turn over the keys to right-wing activists now than they were during the Bush years.

In Illinois, Rep. Mark Kirk is hardly a conservative heartthrob — and some activists are openly contemptuous of what they perceive as his moderation — but he easily won the Republican Senate primary there Tuesday night, against a more conservative, underfunded opponent, in part because he is seen as having the best chance to capture President Barack Obama’s old Senate seat.

Recent elections also suggest a second trend: It may not be all that hard in a favorable political environment for skilled Republicans to bridge or blur the ideological divide between the conservative activists who dominate the party and the more moderate swing voters whom candidates need to win office.

Scott Brown has become the toast of Republicans nationally by winning Ted Kennedy’s old Senate seat in Massachusetts even though he supports abortion rights. Conversely, Republican Bob McDonnell defied predictions that he was too far to the right to attract moderate voters to win a landslide in the Virginia governor’s race.

Much about recent events reflects basic politics: Smart politicians have always calibrated their ideological profile to fit local circumstances.

But after conservative activists chased liberal Republican candidate Dede Scozzafava out of a special election in New York’s 23rd District last fall, some worried that activists were pushing the party so far to the right that it would be unable to compete nationally.

Earlier last year, White House press secretary Robert Gibbs crowed that Rush Limbaugh was the real leader of the Republican Party.

So far, though, it seems clear that Republicans who deviate from party orthodoxy or downplay social issues can be successful as long as they are not egregiously out of step with the base and are savvy enough to harness populist anger at Washington to their benefit.

“This is a reform impulse,” former George W. Bush adviser Karl Rove said of the anti-Washington, anti-Obama mood that has fueled the tea parties. “Our candidates have to be willing to talk about spending and deficits and the expansion of government in people’s lives in a way that people find compelling and authentic.”

Former Rep. Tom Davis, a Virginia Republican who has regularly urged his party to be more open to moderates, said Republicans like McDonnell and Brown have smartly tapped into populist outrage by “seeing it as an opportunity.”

“Wide-awake leaders don’t need to be threatened by the tea parties,” Davis said, adding: “It’s easier to include coalitions when you don’t have to govern.”

Readers' Comments (1458)

I just don't get it. Why would anyone view the party which caused this economic mess and massive deficits to be a reforming force? I will grant that Republicans play to win, and Democrats try to be nice (stupid) and bi-partisan. It only took a year, but Democrats may have finally realized that Republicans do not want anything good to be passed legislatively for the country. If something benefits the citizens of the USA, Democrats might just get some credit. Between now and the elections, much can occur. The economy might even be on track. Then we will have an interesting election.

Recent elections also suggest a second trend: It may not be all that hard in a favorable political environment for skilled Republicans to bridge or blur the ideological divide between the conservative activists who dominate the party and the more moderate swing voters whom candidates need to win office.

This only proves what a devastatingly powerful politician Barack Obama is and what a depraved bunch the Republican Party is. They just aborted their defense of the unborn and persecution of gays in a transparent effort to take down the uppity black president.

Instead of sticking to their principles, they trashed them in a heartbeat. Like they never meant a thing. And the so-called "Christians" shelved their disdain for murdering babies because the establishment told them to.

Its a wonderful day...we are ALL Democrats now!!!!! God bless you, Barack Obama!!

The wing nuts never get anything in return for their emotional votes. Abortion, gay rights, flag burning, smaller government,sex education,lower taxes. The list of conservatives getting nothing is as long as the pages in all the feel good only propaganda that they receive from their pied pipers.

no reason to get comfortable, you can see it in our party as well. In fact that is why many democratics in swing or republican districts are not running for office this year. They know the democratic brand has been severely damaged.